Behavioral Imprinting - Psychological Glossary Home » Alphabet 'B' » Behavioral Imprinting Imprinting is the term used in psychology and ethology to describe any kind of phase-sensitive learning (learning occurring at a particular age or a particular life stage) that is rapid and apparently independent of the consequences of behavior. It typically involves an animal or person learning the characteristics of some stimulus, which is therefore said to be "imprinted" onto the subject. Filial Imprinting: The best known form of imprinting is filial imprinting, in which a young animal learns the characteristics of its parent. It is most obvious in nidifugous birds, who imprint on their parents and then follow them around. It was first reported in domestic chickens, by the 19th century amateur biologist Douglas Spalding. It was rediscovered by the early ethologist Oskar Heinroth, and studied extensively and popularised by his disciple Konrad Lorenz working with greylag geese. Lorenz demonstrated how incubator-hatched geese would imprint on the first suitable moving stimulus they saw within what he called a "critical period" of about 36 hours shortly after hatching.

Most famously, the goslings would imprint on Lorenz himself (more specifically, on his wading boots), and he is often depicted being followed by a gaggle of geese who had imprinted on him. Filial imprinting is not restricted to animals that are able to follow their parents, however; in child development the term is used to refer to the process by which a baby learns who its mother and (in some cases) father are. The filial imprinting of birds was a primary technique used to create the movie Le Peuple Migrateur, which contains a great deal of footage of migratory birds in flight. The birds imprinted on handlers, who wore yellow jackets and honked horns constantly. The birds were then trained to fly along with a variety of aircraft, primarily ultralights. The Italian hang-glider pilot Angelo d'Arrigo has extended this technique. D'Arrigo noted that the flight of a non-motorised hang-glider is very similar to the flight patterns of migratory birds: both use updrafts of hot air (thermal currents) to gain altitude which then permits soaring flight over distance. He used this fact to enable the re-introduction into the wild of threatened species of raptors.

Birds which are hatched in captivity have no mentor birds to teach them their traditional migratory routes. D'Arrigo has one solution to this problem. The chicks hatch under the wing of his glider, and imprint on him. Subsequently, he teaches the fledglings to fly, and to hunt; the young birds follow him not only on the ground (as with Lorenz) but also in the air. He then shows them the routes to fly. He has flown across the Sahara and over the Mediterranean to Sicily with eagles, from Siberia to Iran (5,500 kilometres) with a flock of Siberian cranes and over Everest with Nepalese eagles. He is currently (March 2005) imprinting a newly hatched condor. Sexual Imprinting: Sexual imprinting is the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type. Sexual imprinting on objects other than people is the most popular theory of the development of sexual fetishism.

For example, according to this theory, imprinting on shoes or boots (as with Lorenz' geese) would be the cause of shoe fetishism. Westermarck Effect: Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction and bonding. This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was discovered by anthropologist Edvard Westermarck. The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Shim-pua marriage customs of Taiwan, as well as in biological-related families. But in the case of the Israeli kibbutz farms, these children grew up in a common children's house, away from their parents. They spent the entire day and night together. This did result in a generation that was not interested in the opposite sex within their class, and the program was dropped. It's an extreme example of grouping since the adults were also removed from the environment.

When this does not occur, for example where a brother and sister are brought up not knowing about one another, they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults: a phenomenon known as genetic sexual attraction. This observation is consistent with the theory that the Westermarck effect evolved to suppress inbreeding. Westermarck vs. Freud: Freud argued that members of the same family naturally lust for one another, making it necessary for societies to create incest taboos, but Westermarck argued the reverse, that incest taboos themselves arise naturally as products of response mediated by a relatively simple inherited epigenetic rule, namely the Westermarck effect. Subsequent research over the years supports Westermarck's observations and interpretation. Categories Imprinting (psychology) | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Konrad Z. Lorenz being followed by his imprinted geese The best known form of imprinting is filial imprinting, in which a young animal learns the characteristics of its parent. It is most obvious in nidifugous birds, who imprint on their parents and then follow them around.

It was first reported in domestic chickens, by the 19th century amateur biologist Douglas Spalding. It was rediscovered by the early ethologist Oskar Heinroth , and studied extensively and popularised by his disciple Konrad Lorenz working with greylag geese. Lorenz demonstrated how incubator-hatched geese would imprint on the first suitable moving stimulus they saw within what he called a " critical period " of about 36 hours shortly after hatching. Most famously, the goslings would imprint on Lorenz himself (more specifically, on his wading boots), and he is often depicted being followed by a gaggle of geese who had imprinted on him. Filial imprinting is not restricted to animals that are able to follow their parents, however; in child development the term is used to refer to the process by which a baby learns who its mother and father are. The process is recognised as beginning in the womb, when the unborn baby starts to recognise its parents' voices. The filial imprinting of birds was a primary technique used to create the movie Le Peuple Migrateur , which contains a great deal of footage of migratory birds in flight.

The birds imprinted on handlers, who wore yellow jackets and honked horns constantly. The birds were then trained to fly along with a variety of aircraft, primarily ultralights . The Italian hang-glider pilot Angelo d'Arrigo has extended this technique. D'Arrigo noted that the flight of a non-motorised hang-glider is very similar to the flight patterns of migratory birds: both use updrafts of hot air (thermal currents) to gain altitude which then permits soaring flight over distance. He used this fact to enable the re-introduction into the wild of threatened species of raptors . Birds which are hatched in captivity have no mentor birds to teach them their traditional migratory routes. D'Arrigo has one solution to this problem. The chicks hatch under the wing of his glider, and imprint on him. Subsequently, he teaches the fledglings to fly and to hunt. The young birds follow him not only on the ground (as with Lorenz) but also in the air. He then shows them the routes to fly.

He has flown across the Sahara and over the Mediterranean Sea to Sicily with eagles , from Siberia to Iran (5,500 km) with a flock of Siberian cranes , and over Everest with Nepalese eagles. In March 2005, he began imprinting a newly hatched condor . Sexual imprinting Edit Sexual imprinting is the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type. Sexual imprinting on objects other than people is the most popular theory of the development of sexual fetishism . For example, according to this theory, imprinting on shoes or boots (as with Lorenz' geese) would be the cause of shoe fetishism . Westermarck effect Edit Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction and bonding . This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was discovered by anthropologist Edvard Westermarck .

The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Shim-pua marriage customs of Taiwan , as well as in biological-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutz farms, these children grew up in a common children's house, away from their parents. They spent the entire day and night together. This did result in a generation that was not interested in the opposite sex within their class, and the program was dropped. It is an extreme example of grouping since the adults were also removed from the environment. When this does not occur, for example where a brother and sister are brought up not knowing about one another, they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults: a phenomenon known as genetic sexual attraction . This observation is consistent with the theory that the Westermarck effect evolved to suppress inbreeding . Westermarck vs. Freud Edit Freud argued that members of the same family naturally lust for one another, making it necessary for societies to create incest taboos, but Westermarck argued the reverse, that the taboos themselves arise naturally as products of a simple inherited epigenetic response.

Subsequent research over the years supports Westermarck's observations and interpretation. But still psychoanalysts do agree with and support Freudian concept. One argument used to support their stance is that such taboos would obviously be meaningless if there was no desire to perform the acts in question. See also Sluckin, W_ (1964) Imprinting and Early Learning, London: Methuen. Westermarck, E. A. The history of human marriage, 5th edn. London: Macmillan, 1921 . Papers Bateson, P.P. (1966) The characteristics of content of imprinting, Biological Review 41: 177-211. Canon, P. (1959) Socialisation and imprinting in brown leghorn chicks, Animal Behaviour 7: 26-34. Hess, E.H. (1958) 'Imprinting' in animals, Scientific American 198(3): 81-90. Hess, E.H.

(1972) 'Imprinting' in a natural laboratory, Scientific American 227(2): 24-31. Moltz, H. (1960) Imprinting: empirical basis and theoretical significance, Psychological Bulletin 57: 291-314 Ramsey, A.O. and Hess, E. (1954) A laboratory approach to the study of imprinting, Wilson Bulletin 66:196-206. Sluckin, W. and Salzen, E.A. (1961) Imprinting and perceptual learning, Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 13: 65-77. External links Happy (Inter)National Quirkyalone Day the wbn Happy (Inter)National Quirkyalone Day Your score was 113. Very quirkyalone: Relatives may give you quizzical looks, and so may friends, but you know in your heart of hearts that you are following your inner voice. Though you may not be romancing a single person, you are romancing the world. Celebrate your freedom on National Quirkyalone Day, February 14th!

“Mi, a name I call myself ...” I suspect that the folks behind the quirkyalone concept are using it as an excuse for a combination of antisocial behavior, unrealistically high standards, and a broken ability to connect with others. Having a designation for it, having a category, a box, into which a bunch of other people fit as well, probably makes them say, “Hey, there are others like me. See, I'm not broken.” Or perhaps they'll all broken. And then they go and quote Rilke as support for the position: Since fellow quirkyalones are not abundant (we are probably less than 5 percent of the population), I recommend reading the patron saint of solitude: German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. Even 100 years after its publication, Letters to a Young Poet still feels like it was written for us: “You should not let yourself be confused in your solitude by the fact that there is something in you that wants to break out of it,” Rilke writes. “People have (with the help of conventions) oriented all their solutions toward the easy and toward the easiest side of easy, but it is clear that we must hold to that which is difficult.” Patron saint. Okay.

In unrelated Valentine's Day news, CNN reports on a health study that “ finds out why it's gross to kiss your sister. ” I love the mature headline. gross There are two relevant features of the story: a challenge to Freud(ianism) and an attempt to ascribe the behavior to instinct. “Researchers who wanted to find out why it is not only taboo to kiss your sister, but also disgusting, said Wednesday that they have discovered why in a discovery that challenges some basic tenets of Freudian theory,” they begin. The Freudian part only comes at the end, with a quote by Leda Cosmides: “He thought you are attracted to your relatives and your siblings and parents and it takes the force of culture and society to keep you from committing the incest that is in your heart.” The Freudian position assumes a default orientation that is not altered by something within the individual but which is repressed through social norms. His super-ego is in that regard a super-structure; it is, after all, as an Überich something above or perhaps beyond the self. The position advocated by Cosmides and her colleagues is not entirely new.

The research was essentially psychological and sociological in nature, or so it appears in the rather limited article: “Cosmides and her colleagues tested 600 volunteers, asking them all sorts of questions jumbled together so they would not know what was being studied. ‘We asked them how many favors did you do for this particular sibling in a month. We asked if this sibling needed a kidney, how likely would you be to donate this sibling a kidney.’” What he have here is some nicely, relatively-controlled empirical data. The conclusion based on observation can be stated as follows: “What determined incest disgust and altruism was the same—how much time an older sibling spent watching his or her mother care for a younger one, or how much time the two spent together in the same household.” Studies of a more anthropological and observational or anecdotal nature have reached similar conclusions but not dealt with the same mechanisms. In particular I refer to the so-called Westermarck effect : Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction and capture-bonding.

This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was discovered by anthropologist Edvard Westermarck. The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. The preceding Wikipedia passage reports on sexual imprinting, “the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type (Immelmann, 1972). Sexual imprinting on inanimate objects is a popular theory concerning the development of sexual fetishism. For example, according to this theory, imprinting on shoes or boots (as with Lorenz' geese) would be the cause of shoe fetishism.” Happy V-Day, indeed. Imprinting (psychology) Imprinting (psychology) Jump to: navigation , search This article is about the psychological term. For other meanings, see imprinting .

Imprinting is the term used in psychology and ethology to describe any kind of phase-sensitive learning (learning occurring at a particular age or a particular life stage) that is rapid and apparently independent of the consequences of behavior. It was first used to describe situations in which an animal or person learns the characteristics of some stimulus, which is therefore said to be "imprinted" onto the subject. Contents Image:Lorenz.gif Konrad Z. Lorenz being followed by his imprinted geese The best known form of imprinting is filial imprinting, in which a young animal learns the characteristics of its parent. It is most obvious in nidifugous birds, who imprint on their parents and then follow them around. It was first reported in domestic chickens , by the 19th century amateur biologist Douglas Spalding . It was rediscovered by the early ethologist Oskar Heinroth , and studied extensively and popularised by his disciple Konrad Lorenz working with greylag geese . Lorenz demonstrated how incubator-hatched geese would imprint on the first suitable moving stimulus they saw within what he called a " critical period " of about 36 hours shortly after hatching.

Most famously, the goslings would imprint on Lorenz himself (more specifically, on his wading boots), and he is often depicted being followed by a gaggle of geese who had imprinted on him. Filial imprinting is not restricted to animals that are able to follow their parents, however; in child development the term is used to refer to the process by which a baby learns who its mother and father are. The process is recognised as beginning in the womb, when the unborn baby starts to recognise its parents' voices (Kissilevsky et al, 2003). The filial imprinting of birds was a primary technique used to create the movie Le Peuple Migrateur , which contains a great deal of footage of migratory birds in flight. The birds imprinted on handlers, who wore yellow jackets and honked horns constantly. The birds were then trained to fly along with a variety of aircraft, primarily ultralights . The Italian hang-glider pilot Angelo d'Arrigo extended this technique.

D'Arrigo noted that the flight of a non-motorised hang-glider is very similar to the flight patterns of migratory birds: both use updrafts of hot air (thermal currents) to gain altitude which then permits soaring flight over distance. He used this fact to enable the re-introduction into the wild of threatened species of raptors . Birds which are hatched in captivity have no mentor birds to teach them their traditional migratory routes. D'Arrigo had one solution to this problem. The chicks hatched under the wing of his glider, and imprinted on him. Subsequently, he taught the fledglings to fly and to hunt. The young birds followed him not only on the ground (as with Lorenz) but also in the air as he took the path of various migratory routes. He flew across the Sahara and over the Mediterranean Sea to Sicily with eagles , from Siberia to Iran (5,500 km) with a flock of Siberian cranes , and over Everest with Nepalese eagles. In 2006, he worked with a condor in South America.

In a similar project, orphaned Canada Geese were trained to their normal migration route by the Canadian ultralight enthusiast Bill Lishman , as shown in the fact based movie drama Fly Away Home . [ edit ] Sexual imprinting Sexual imprinting is the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type (Immelmann, 1972). Sexual imprinting on inanimate objects is a popular theory concerning the development of sexual fetishism . For example, according to this theory, imprinting on shoes or boots (as with Lorenz' geese) would be the cause of shoe fetishism . [ edit ] Westermarck effect Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction and bonding . This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was discovered by anthropologist Edvard Westermarck .

The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutz farms, these children grew up in a common children's house, away from their parents. They spent the entire day and night together. This resulted in a generation that was not interested in the opposite sex within their class. It is an extreme example of grouping since the adults were also removed from the environment. When this does not occur, for example where a brother and sister are brought up not knowing about one another, they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults: a phenomenon known as genetic sexual attraction . This observation is consistent with the theory that the Westermarck effect evolved to suppress inbreeding . [ edit ] Westermarck and Freud Freud argued that members of the same family naturally lust for one another, making it necessary for societies to create incest taboos, but Westermarck argued the reverse, that the taboos themselves arise naturally as products of a simple inherited epigenetic response.

Subsequent research over the years supports Westermarck's observations and interpretation. But still some psychoanalysts do agree with and support the Freudian concept. One argument used to support their stance is that such taboos would be pointless if there were no desire to perform the acts in question. Westermarck effect | Psychology Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Biological: Behavioural genetics · Evolutionary psychology · Neuroanatomy · Neurochemistry · Neuroendocrinology · Neuroscience · Psychoneuroimmunology · Physiological Psychology · Psychopharmacology ( Index , Outline ) Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction and bonding . This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was discovered by anthropologist Edvard Westermarck . The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutz farms, these children grew up in a common children's house, away from their parents.

They spent the entire day and night together. This resulted in a generation that was not interested in the opposite sex within their class. It is an extreme example of grouping since the adults were also removed from the environment. When this does not occur, for example where a brother and sister are brought up not knowing about one another, they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults: a phenomenon known as genetic sexual attraction . This observation is consistent with the theory that the Westermarck effect evolved to suppress inbreeding . Contents Imprinting | Frozen Apples | Fandom powered by Wikia "That's an interesting excuse - I mean, process." - Humbert Humbert on Imprinting Imprinting (totally ripped off from the House of Night series) is defined as the process by which a sexually mature Meyerwolf becomes unhealthily obsessed with the child woman most fit to carry his werewolf babies with whom his genes are most compatible. This allows the werewolves to get away with "falling in love" with prepubescent children without counting as a pedophile.

It also frees Meyer from annoying things like relationship development, character development and plot, because heaven forbid the relationships featured in Meyer's pile of trash books are anything but lust-fueled powerplays. Jacob also states that the imprinter will become whatever the imprinted wants him to be, whether that is a brother, a romantic interest, or a father figure. This is supposedly to take away the creep factor, but it totally fails, as the purpose of imprinting is reproduction, which implies that the relationship between the imprinter and the imprinted will become sexual at one point. Also, for a book series that's supposedly about choice, how can a process that by definition takes away choice logically fit in? Answer: it doesn't. Contents [1] IT'S AWWWWRIGHT! Added by FormerlyNib Many of the claims for pedophilia in this series is not so much in regard to the Edward / Bella romance (although there is a case to be made there), but to Jacob / Nessie and Quil / Claire romances. Both boys are sexually mature adolescents, while the girls are still toddlers.

The relationships between them may, for now, be that of an older brother figure and a girl he thinks of as his little sister, but this relationship is expected to become sexual in the future. Our friends over at Wikipedia define child grooming as "the deliberate actions taken by an adult to form a trusting relationship with a child, with the intent of later having sexual contact". According to them, "the act of grooming a child sexually may include activities that are legal in and of themselves, but later lead to sexual contact. Typically, this is done to gain the child's trust as well as the trust of those responsible for the child's well-being. Furthermore, research has shown children are less likely to report a crime if it involves someone that he or she knows, trusts, and/or cares about. Additionally, a trusting relationship with the family means that the child's parents will be less likely to believe any potential accusations." Sound familiar? A major example of abuse in terms of imprinting is the relationship between Sam and Emily . When Emily refused to be with Sam after he broke her cousin 's heart by leaving her to be with his One Twu Wuv™, Sam fursploded in anger and nearly tore off Emily's face.

The resultant injuries were so bad that Emily was forced to tell the rest of the world that she had been mauled viciously by a bear. According to Meyer, Emily was so "flattered" by such devotion ("devotion" here meaning "I love you so much that if you don't get together with me I'm gonna claw your face off") that she decided to be with Sam anyway, despite her misgivings about Leah earlier on. Most people would say Emily was literally beaten into submission, but Meyer says "ROMANCE!" Among the biggest examples of how imprinting completely screws things up is none other than Leah Clearwater , whose newly-made-werewolf boyfriend ditched her for her cousin Emily, and rather than be shown any sympathy by anyone for her understandable heartbreak, she was proceeded to be considered a bitch by all for not accepting this form of pedophilic sexual abuse Twu Wuv™. Never mind that this form of love falls more along the lines of lust and had no prior foundation before being considered set in stone. Imprinting is also inherently sexist to both genders, as the woman has no choice in the relationship.

The woman may not even like or know the imprinter, or may already be in a relationship, yet it is assumed if the imprintee rejects her imprinter, she will have the same fate as Emily. It's also sexist against men due to the clear indication that they can't even attempt to resist the imprint and essentially lose everything they were before. While the male werewolves can imprint on anyone (Jacob "sensed" Renesmee's egg inside Bella, and that's why he was attracted to her-- no, really, that's SMeyer's own words), the female werewolves (Leah) are infertile and cannot imprint. (see below) Imprinting: Utterly Illogical Edit The idea of imprinting has been widely discussed and condemned due to the contradictions that S. Meyer 's crap writing skills have has presented. She put forward the idea of imprinting as a need to skip any real plot development pass on the werewolf genes. This fails for several reasons, primarily because animal behaviour is dictated by sexual response, in this case the need to pass on genes would only be activated when the male is put into contact with a sexually mature female. The whole concept is sexual.

When this is applied to toddlers and newborn babies it take a particularly sinister turn. After all, if the idea is to pass on the genes then the entire implication is sexual. No matter how Smeyer might try to defend it, the entire act of imprinting is geared for sex. Claims that the wolves will be whatever the imprintee needs them to be until such a time as they are ready for sex does not help the imprinting image in any way. In the real world we call this child grooming. Or pedophilia. It also makes zero biological sense for female werewolves to be infertile and unable to imprint. Women are just as good at passing on genes as men. Renesmee and Jacob would not make good babies. The purpose of imprinting is to find a/the person with whom werewolf genes can be passed on to offspring. BUT, if Renesmee is part-vampire, how would it be possible to foster successful werewolf children? Either it would not happen, or the children would fursplode the minute they were conceived/left the womb/sometimes inbetween that. It would be two warring species being in the same body for nine months. Do you think it would even live?

As you can see, Jacob imprinting on Renesmee was obviously no more than a reason for the pack not to fursplode on her ass. Imprinting in the Real World or Why Smeyer Fails-Epically Edit If Meyer had gotten up off her lazy, fat ass and did A Strange Custom Good Writers do called "research" , she would have learned all about imprinting. Oh wait! She did research! She watched one nature show about ducks! YAY DUCKYS! "Imprinting was inspired by two different sources: ducklings and dragons. Imprinting actually exists in nature, but usually between parents and their offspring. I saw a nature documentary about ducklings imprinting on their moms and it always stuck with me. The other inspiration is Anne McCaffrey's dragon books (which, if you haven't read them, do so now! Start with Dragonflight). In her mythology, humans and dragons bond so tightly that if one of them dies, the other either suicides or goes mad. They love each other with an absolute and unreasoning love that never falters or changes.

I was always captivated by this concept, and I wanted to explore that kind of life-changing and compulsory relationship." But Imprinting in the real world is more than that. It is NOT a process where imaginary creatures find their Soul Mate Forever Love, but a learning behavior that actually helps a young animal (Non-Human or Human) and ADVANCES a species. There are 3 forms of Imprinting: Filial Imprinting, the Westermarck Effect & Sexual Imprinting. This is what Wikipedia. com says on all Forms of Imprinting: The best known form of imprinting is filial imprinting, in which a young animal learns the characteristics of its parent. It is most obvious in nidifugous birds, which imprint on their parents and then follow them around. It was first reported in domestic chickens, by the 19th century amateur biologist Douglas Spalding. It was rediscovered by the early ethologist Oskar Heinroth, and studied extensively and popularised by his disciple Konrad Lorenz working with greylag geese.

Lorenz demonstrated how incubator-hatched geese would imprint on the first suitable moving stimulus they saw within what he called a "critical period" between 13–16 hours shortly after hatching. Most famously, the goslings would imprint on Lorenz himself (more specifically, on his wading boots), and he is often depicted being followed by a gaggle of geese who had imprinted on him. Filial imprinting is not restricted to animals that are able to follow their parents, however; in child development the term is used to refer to the process by which a baby learns who its mother and father are. The process is recognised as beginning in the womb, when the unborn baby starts to recognise its parents' voices Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction. This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was first formally described by Finnish anthropologist Edvard Westermarck.

The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. ' In the case of the Israeli kibbutzim (collective farms), children were reared somewhat communally in peer groups—groups based on age, not biological relation. A study of the marriage patterns of these children later in life revealed that out of the nearly 3,000 marriages that occurred across the kibbutz system, only fourteen were between children from the same peer group. Of those fourteen, none had been reared together during the first six years of life. This result provides evidence not only that the Westermarck effect is demonstrable, but that it operates during the critical period from birth to the age of six (Shepher, 1983). When close proximity during this critical period does not occur—for example, where a brother and sister are brought up separately, never meeting one another—they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults. This phenomenon is known as genetic sexual attraction.

This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the Westermarck effect evolved because it suppressed inbreeding. This attraction may also be seen with cousin couples. Sexual imprinting is the process by which a young animal learns the characteristics of a desirable mate. For example, male zebra finches appear to prefer mates with the appearance of the female bird that rears them, rather than mates of their own type (Immelmann, 1972). The famous psychologist John Money called it the lovemap.[1] Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him - Page 5 - Other Topics Forum - Discuss Pop Culture, Arts and Entertainment Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him User Name TwoPlusTwo.com Notices Other Other Topics Discussion of arts & entertainment, pop culture, food & drink, health and exercise, fashion, relationships, work, and just about anything else in life except poker, sports, religion and politics. Page 5 of 5 Posts: 718 Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him This is really interesting.

Basically, the detraction to relatives isn't because of some build in genetic mechanic but is possibly purely psychological and requires contact during childhood to take root, and when that doesn't exist then you have you the ability to be just as attracted to your relatives, as you would any other person. Actually the article linked above implies that not only would you be just as attracted to relative, but you would find them more sexually attractive. Quote: Westermarck effect Reverse sexual imprinting is also seen: when two people live in close domestic proximity during the first few years in the life of either one, both are desensitized to later close sexual attraction. This phenomenon, known as the Westermarck effect, was first formally described by Finnish anthropologist Edvard Westermarck. The Westermarck effect has since been observed in many places and cultures, including in the Israeli kibbutz system, and the Chinese Shim-pua marriage customs, as well as in biological-related families. In the case of the Israeli kibbutzim (collective farms), children were reared somewhat communally in peer groups—groups based on age, not biological relation.

A study of the marriage patterns of these children later in life revealed that out of the nearly 3,000 marriages that occurred across the kibbutz system, only fourteen were between children from the same peer group. Of those fourteen, none had been reared together during the first six years of life. This result provides evidence not only that the Westermarck effect is demonstrable, but that it operates during the critical period from birth to the age of six (Shepher, 1983). When close proximity during this critical period does not occur—for example, where a brother and sister are brought up separately, never meeting one another—they may find one another highly sexually attractive when they meet as adults. This phenomenon is known as genetic sexual attraction. This observation is consistent with the hypothesis that the Westermarck effect evolved because it suppressed inbreeding. This attraction may also be seen with cousin couples. Location: Best in the world at what I do Posts: 22,218 Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him lol fox news.

surprised they didnt cross reference the son's twitter account Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: for people that didn't see it: subliminal messages OTWPP I still don't get it. Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: I still don't get it. They're either leveling or are just douchebags. Posts: 1,011 Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him didn't pearl jam write a song about a similar incident 20 years ago? from their first album, the song was called "alive" i think. Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Yea that's kinda bizarre. Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by Joseph Hewes Yea that's kinda bizarre. can't believe this post took so long tbh Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Exactly! Except it was his Mom. Anyway, yeah, kid should be stroked! zing!

Location: Being the Kama Sutra Barry Bonds Posts: 1,823 Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by kurosh LOLOL @ the myspace pics album of her getting a tattoo over her c-section scar - "me gettin 1 of my biggest mistakes covered up !" Everyone knows the culprit returns to the scene of the crime. She should have seen him comming. O wait... Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by Bulletproof Monk lol fox news. surprised they didnt cross reference the son's twitter account QFMFT! Same goes for CNN though. Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: for people that didn't see it: subliminal messages OTWPP Vantek, will you please explain this. There's a visible gap halfway through the text?

I took the words at the end of the text before the gap and tried making a sentence out of it and I took all the letters before and after the gap and tried unscrambling them to make words and I know you're a helluva smart guy and all but I think I'm really overthinking this... Last edited by lonely_but_rich; 09-14-2009 at 04:40 AM. Reason: That line you drew kind of looks like a penis Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him *secretive silence* Location: New York, NY (In the boardroom) Posts: 3,193 Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by OffTh3Radar This makes a lot more sense. People accused of crimes of a sexual nature should have a right to anonimity until proven guilty imo. No idea of what really happened here but definitely agree with this. It is one thing if the evidence if obvious (e.g. sex slave in basement) but when it is one person's word against another, there should be no public disclosure until after trial.

I had a good friend in High School who had younger parents than most of us and a Dad who was a Jr. High teacher. He had been a minor league hockey player was in good shape and just from knowing him am sure he was very friendly (but in appropriate way) with students. He was accused of rape, was on front page of paper and three months later it was determined girl made the whole thing up as excuse from breaking curfew. Of course retractions were printed, but the damage was still done. Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by Vantek Do people who lie about this at least have to pay a whole bucketload of money to the actual victim? Unfortunately not always. In all honesty, kinda rough to punish the parents of some dumb 14 year old girl by making them pay all kinds of money.Obviously in some situations where the parents are calling for teachers head, etc. I would feel differently, but parents never got involved in press at all. As for newspapers, they just reported the teacher had been charged, etc.

The Police were really the ones at fault as the big unfortunate thing here was that as the student was a white, upper-middle class, straight "A" student so the police just believed her. When the officers came to the school to question the teacher, he knew he didn't have a bullet-proof alibi for the time accused so he quite reasonably asked to speak with a lawyer. Upon asking to speak with a lawyer he was put in cuffs and taken to the station making a huge public spectacle. Additional note, I was good friends with the guys son and he later told me his Dad had an affair at some point earlier with a younger girl (he was maybe 35 and girl was 25). I believe this "history" was another reason he was concerned. Upon being taken downtown the teacher managed to point out several inconsistencies in the story and the later girl was later re-interviewed and admitted to false accusations but the damage had already been done. He got his job back, but at what cost. I also find it quite sad that a former minor league hockey player teaching public school (he was a great guy, but no rocket scientist) was able to find inconsistencies that the Police did not notice.

Last thing that was a huge goof on the Police's fault is not looking more into teachers situation before jumping to conclusions. He may have been younger and relatively handsome for a teacher (also had only been teaching 2-3 years), but had 4 kids, no history of infidelity (I was maybe one of 4-5 people friend ever told and it was after the whole trial was done), etc. Additionally, despite only having taught a couple of years, he and his wife taught rollerblade hockey at a local summer day camp at our Jr. College each summer. Considering he had been doing this with multiple groups of 9-12 year old kids for nearly 15 years would be amazing to have no history of complaints and do this out of the blue. Guess what, he had to give up that gig as well after all this happened because even though exonerated a cloud hung over him. If he had been anything other than a 40 year old white male probably could have sued the Police department, but in a conservative town where people trust those protecting him just was not going to happen.

Re: Bizzare Story: Mother tracks down long-lost teenage son, rapes him Quote: Originally Posted by cpitt398 A lot of times the police are looking for more victims to come forward since this type of crime has such a high recidivism rate. Sometimes they need it for a conviction. Its kind of a double edged sword. I definitely thought of this as I was writing about the "no prior history" as I know that often the first person comes out and there are many additional complaints. I think in many cases the name has to "get out" if they really are a strong suspect to ensure that all information is gathered, but they need to make sure there is no alibi and no issues with the accusers story before taking this step. All this being said, apologies for the massive derail. Story is just weird though.

Question: What psychological phenomenon states that when two people live in close proximity during the first years in the life of either one, they are desensitized to sexual attraction?
Answer: Westermarck effect